listen, i plead guilty to having confidence in the guy on wednesday night. >> reporter: but romney trails in every battleground state. >> he's got to redefine himself as someone who cares about the average american. he's got to show how his policies connect to that caring. and he has to show how president obama's policies have not produced a better result than his policies will. boy, that's a lot to do in one debate. >> reporter: at a rally in nevada last night, president obama denied he's confident. >> no, no, governor romney, he's a good debater. i'm just okay. but what i'm most concerned about is having a serious discussion about what we need to do to keep the country growing. >> reporter: while the candidates disappear for debate practice, their campaigns are working harder. pat harper, 79, is a volunteer for president obama. >> he did the best he could, i think, with what he had to work with. >> reporter: she's in waterloo, iowa, in her hometown, a battleground state. pat finds obama backers like kathy gerten. would kathy vote early, pat asks? >> yes. >> reporter: team obama getting